Reactivity and Aggression.docx

**[reactivity and aggression]** **[aggression]** Aggression itself is defined as the intent to do harm. Many dogs show displays of aggression such as barking growling or snapping in the air which are considered distance increasing actions those that intend to get the person or dog to move away fro...

**[reactivity and aggression]** **[aggression]** Aggression itself is defined as the intent to do harm. Many dogs show displays of aggression such as barking growling or snapping in the air which are considered distance increasing actions those that intend to get the person or dog to move away from the dog. Dog aggressive dogs display aggression that is mainly defensive and they harm another dog or person only if they perceive that they have no other option yet other dogs may develop aggressive behavior due to medical reasons such as hormonal imbalances or pain Factors contributing to the likelihood of the development of dog aggression include - Anxiety fear or phobia - Lack of structure - Lack of proper exposure to other dogs during the critical socialization period - Early imprinting by an aggressive or nervous dam - A traumatic experience - territorial behavior - thyroid malfunction or other medical conditions - abuse from owners - medical or physical ailments - breeding and genetic predisposition dog aggression manifests at the age of adolescence to social maturity which is 6 months to four years warning signs such as fear and or nervousness around other dogs displays of aggression only under certain circumstances while unleash in the presence of food in the presence of the owner etc. or most commonly over the top play behavior can be seen at any stage of the dogs development play behavior such as tackling chasing mouthing nipping pawning and wrestling are all normal canine behaviors that serve the evolutionary function of preparing the young dog for later combat and hunting young dogs that engage in excessive amounts of these behaviors are much more likely to develop dog aggression as they age Many people commonly mistake fear and anxiety related aggression as dominance aggression which is inaccurate dominance is rarely the cause of aggressive behaviors in dogs with fear and anxiety being the greatest cause of both dogs and human directed aggression Lack of exercise is not a cause of aggressive behavior although exercise boosts serotonin levels which offsets stress hormones such as cortisol, and can complement a behavior modification program however it is a common misbelief that aggressive dogs are not exercised enough many aggressive dogs are exercised regularly **[Common aggression triggers]** **[re directed aggression]** Re directed aggression takes place in dogs when they become aroused by a trigger and redirect their aggression towards a source that is not directly linked to the aggression trigger in the first place. A classic example is a dog fighting with another dog then one or both attacking the owner who gets in the middle to try and stop them in another case two dogs may be barking at something over the fence and the two dogs quite aroused end up fighting each other. A dog may resort to redirected aggression for self-defense in other words the dog overwhelmed senses a threat and mistakenly reacts to the wrong source in another case the dog may redirect aggression because it is extremely frustrated such as a dog barking at a mailman may bite the owner trying to restrict his movement. finally, the dog that has been physically punished by his owners in the past may be prone to redirecting his aggression towards such owners because they are perceived as part of the threat. **[Territorial aggression]** Territorial aggression is directed at intruders human pet or wild. Both male and female dogs guard territory. Territorial aggression is intended to drive trespassers away from the home and food supply. Territorial behavior sometimes includes chasing a victim. Territorial aggression is always directed towards strangers. **[Resource Guarding Aggression]** At some point in the dog's life, he has learned that humans approaching or touching his valued resources is not a good thing. For him, as they are quite often taken away, he has also learned that if he responds in a certain way, the human often goes away and he gets to keep his items. If a dog is a resource guarder, do not give him high value objects that he will want to guard. High value objects include whatever the dog views as his favorite and can include things like toys, bones, rawhides, etc. If he does get a high value item, have him in his crate or rooms where the door can be closed. If the dog is a food garter, he should be fed in a room where there is not a lot of traffic, so that he cannot practice his guarding behavior A program of desensitization and counter conditioning is the most successful way to help a resource garter Always have a high value dish of treats that can be quickly grabbed if the dog gets something that he is not supposed to have offer. Him the treat or even toss them on the ground away from him. He. Drops the item carefully remove it while he is eating the treats that you have given him It is important to not scold the dog at this time, as you will be adding to the negative association that he already has towards people taking away good things Never remove an object from a dog without giving him an equal or higher value object in return. The exchange must be at the same time the object is removed only. **Remove the object if it is safe to do so.** Practice possession exchanges. Give the dog a low value item that he is not interested in. Move your hands towards the object and reward your dog with a yummy treat. Touch the object and again give the dog a treat. Pick the object up, give him a treat, and then immediately give it back to the dog. Once the dog understands the game, you can start to move to a more desired object. Make sure you do not move too quickly as the idea is to never have the dog guard the object. Possession exchanges will help to change the negative association that the dog has to a positive one. My guardian is coming towards my bone... Yippee, I always get a yummy treat when she approaches. For dogs that food guard, start by walking by the dish while the dog is eating. From about 5 feet away you can toss a high value treat. Which must be more desirable than the kibble into your dog's dish. If you see signs that the dog is uncomfortable with this, increase the distance from 5 to 10 feet. Continue tossing treats until the dog is anticipating and happy to see your approach. Slowly decrease the distance in which you are tossing the treats in the bowl. Always watch the dog, if at any point he seems uncomfortable, move away and do a bit more work at a previous distance. **Do not physically punish the dog for this behavior.** It is dangerous and unacceptable to apply force to any dog, and could lead to further deterioration of the dog's behavior. If during training sessions you only tell the dog what you want, it will increase frustration and damage the bond you are trying to establish. With the dog. Instead, you want to teach the dog what you want him to do and reward for the good choices that they make. **[Predatory aggression.]** Predatory behavior can involve chasing and even biting, but it's technically not aggression at all. Aggression is Intended to drive a threat away or eliminate it. In. predatory behavior, the intent is to get close enough to the prey to catch it and eat it. If you are. If you are not sure if a dog's chasing activity is related to predatory instincts or territorial defense, consider the following. - Predatory aggression is preceded by hiding, stalking or sneaking while territorial aggression is accompanied by erect ears and tail bark. And jumping around. - Predatory aggression is silent except in scent hounds who howl when they catch a whiff of potential prey. - Aggression is usually directed at small moving targets while territorial aggression is directed at intruders, especially near the dog's home, car or owner. - Predatory aggression is never directed at something the dog fears. Hunting and retrieving are forms of predatory behavior. - Hypothyroidism, a condition in which the dog's thyroid isn't functioning adequately or stops functioning altogether. This results in a deficiency of the thyroid hormone, which can cause major systemic problems and alter the dogs behavior. Hypothyroidism is easily treatable with medication. - Neurological problems, whether congenital or acquired, may be interfering with the dog's judgment and behavior. Head trauma, brain tumors an epilepsy can all cause aggressive dog behavior. - Behavioral seizures occur in the region of the dog's brain that controls aggression. The dog may have mood swings in displace sudden aggressive behavior. Breeds prone to this disorder include Springer and Cocker spaniels, bull terriers, poodles and golden retrievers. - Pain is also a major medical cause of aggression. When dogs are in pain especially if the pain is chronic and severe, they may feel irritable and lash out. - was the dog properly socialized to other dogs when he was younger? - Was there an early trauma? - Is there a genetic component? - Is it a learned behavior? - Does the dog continually become frustrated trying to get two other dogs to play? - Does the dog exhibit proper body postures when meeting other dogs? - Does the dog know how to interpret proper body postures from other dogs? - Does the dog fence fight with other dogs? - Does the dog bark at dogs passing by where the owner cannot stop the dog from barking?